What Does Holistic Wellness Look Like for Women After 50

The Marion Webster’s definition of holistic is relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.

The definition of wellness is the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal. The clients I work with are looking for a holistic approach for overall health and wellness. We’re beyond the point in our lives where we just want to lose weight for the sake of looking good. We’re looking for a lifestyle that allows us to enjoy feeling our best, continue to do the things we love and get or keep our bodies strong for life. 

Lifestyle  

Personal responsibility and choice to create the lifestyle you desire is at the heart of your wellness. Seeking equilibrium in all aspects of your life will help you find balance and harmony.

One of the questions I hear a lot is, “How do I fit it all in?” My question back is what do you want to fit in? What is most important to you? Living a lifestyle has to resonate with you. If you hate to spend time in the gym but you love going for walks, make walking your main cardio. The old adage of picking something you enjoy doing so you continue to do it and stay consistent is true.

The same rings true for nutrition. Find healthy foods you like and start experimenting with recipes and ways to incorporate more of them into your diet. Forcing yourself to eat a specific food will only last so long. Make small changes at first. If you’ve only used margarine or canola oil, swap out for ghee, butter and olive oil. If you’ve been snacking throughout the day, see if you can omit at least one of those snack times for now. Creating a lifestyle doesn’t mean perfection. It means consistent progress in a healthier direction.

Body, Mind, Spirit

Not only do we connect a holistic approach to the health of the body, the mind and spirit are connected as well. A healthier body will absolutely help create a vessel for a healthier mind. Our mental attitude plays a huge role in the outcome we’re looking for. What we do on a daily basis affects our mental attitude. We’re multidimensional beings and we can’t separate our parts, which is why taking a holistic approach to our wellness is imperative. When I work with clients we talk about our Primary Foods and our Secondary Foods. Primary Foods include everything in life that feeds the soul, the parts of life off the plate. Secondary Foods are the foods on the plate. Bringing Primary Foods into balance helps to bring Secondary Foods into balance as a result. If you're looking for help with Secondary Food ideas, grab my Free recipe guide for on-the-go lunches here.

Self-Care

Self-care is more than massage or spending an afternoon laying by the pool. How do you define yourself care? What’s most important to you? If life is hectic, it may mean carving an extra five minutes in the morning to breathe and plan out the day. It could mean taking a short walk in the sun after lunch, making your workouts a priority or planning your meals for the week. This is where I like to say a perspective shift could change your life. Movement, meditation, nutrition, sleep, relationships and quiet all feed into self-care. Self-care looks different for everyone and is as diverse as we are.

Why a holistic approach can bring peace of mind to women over 50.

Even if you’ve never had a regular workout schedule, or you don’t consider yourself a good cook, or you’ve thought “self-care” is a luxury you don’t have time for, creating a holistic wellness plan can be as simple as planning a healthy breakfast, adding more movement in your day and giving yourself a five-minute break in the middle of the day. Meet yourself where you’re at. As you pay attention to how you feel and notice you have a little less stress or you’re sleeping better or your jeans don’t feel so tight, you will value the changes you’ve made and start to bring more healthy habits into your routine.

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